At Sea
by Animorphia
Summary: A one shot of a Mermaid AU. Read it to find out more. Please R&R and hope you like it


**Authors note: Here's a one-shot for you guys to read. I have been thinking about an idea, Momo being a mermaid and Toshiro being a captain of a ship when I watched Pirates of the Caribbean the other day. So I started writing and there you go. I hope you guys like it~ Please Read & Review and as always thank you for all the support, I appreciate it~ **

**P.S. It's kinda a force of habit in spelling 'Toshiro' to Toushiro', but I would try to correct it as much as I can. Thank you for telling me, Drangonblood!**

 **P.P.S. I will definitely continue on to my main story, Black and White, so don't worry!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own BLEACH!**

* * *

If I died, they died with me! Grinding his teeth together, unexpectedly grabbing the hem of the enemy shirts and with an amount of strength bringing his enemies with him to sea when the ship tilted by the wave. Splashing heavily into the depths of the sea.

Many of his crewmen on deck called out to him, who singled handily pulled the enemy's captain and first mate off the ship and into the strong waves with him. The whole crew cried loudly, watching helplessly as Toshiro being engulfed by the stormy sea waves. Drowning into the sea deeply, Toshiro desperately swam his way through the surface and getting his oxygen into his lungs before a wave pound down on him. It was a huge thunderstorm at the time, winds were strong and the waves merciless. Toshiro tried his hardest to swim back to his ship before another wave hit him.

"Captain!"

"We need to save the Captain!"

"Not until we take care of the pirates first! Ready the cannons! Men to your positions!" Gin commanded strictly while fending off the pirates from further boarding the deck, cutting down ropes and kicking enemies off the ship.

Scrambling to their position, loading the cannons with the round deadly cannonballs, aiming at the enemy's ship from either side as they were stuck in between the two ship.

"Cannon loaded and awaiting orders, sir!"

"FIRE!" Gin yelled fiercely.

"FIRE!" The order were echoed to the men below the deck, as they handle the cannons, firing it towards the enemy.

Shots continuously fired through the raging sea after the strict order, men battling the invaders with everything they got, the quartermaster stood tall in the absence of their captain. Neither of them wavered their will to crumble with morale held high, even under the pressure of the enemy numbers. They were few but held no hesitation to surrender. In a minute, the pirates began to retreat after they saw their quartermaster was defeated and ship wrecked into flames. With no leader to lead them, their resolve of fighting immediately vanished and each of them jump into the sea to escape, even if the storm still raging on.

From underwater Toshiro saw a huge blast, the enemy's ship had sunk into the sea with blazing flames, splinters of wood flew by everywhere, heavy smoke covered the whole area. Bodies of the enemies plopped into the water harshly, each suffered the burns of the heavy explosives. Another row of cannon was fired and down was the second enemy ship, like the outcome of the previous ship sunk to the bottom of the sea. He noted that his crew did a good job of taking down the pesky pirate ships without his guidance.

Now in the matter of hand, he need to swim his way upwards to the surface and dodging incoming objects from above. It was a matter of life or death. He resurfaced the water, in searched for his ship to get him out to safely. But unfortunately it was drifting much farther away. He swam to the general direction until it disappeared from his sights as he was forced back into the water when the waves hit. The continuous of the unforgiving waves sweep the men and ship into its rapid currents, dragging them to the bottom without mercy. Wiping any faint hope for the men in the brutal ocean. Toshiro steel his will to survive as he struggled against the currents. Gasped for breath every time he resurfaced, even in a small amount he still clings onto it, filled his lungs with air which he try to stay alive.

The storm raged on for an amount of time. He wasn't sure when did the weather and waves turned peaceful as his arms gripped onto a broken plank once he reached the water surface. Coughing out sea water from his lungs exchanging it for fresh air and rest half of his body onto the floating plank. He glanced over the area and saw debris of the enemy's ship and carcass floating on the water. Staying afloat, he found that his abdomen sliced in a line, blood flowed through the water and he was light headed from the impact of the waves. Gritted his teeth, he paddled slowly to the direction of his ship was last seen, blood trailed behind him along the sea. He hoped he wasn't a cold corpse before he was found.

* * *

"Woah, the storm really sure made a mess," Momo commented, her friend beside her nodding in agreement of the site. They swim through the broken wooden poles, wooden crates, barrels and debris from the ships. The aftermath of the storm formed a massive ocean graveyard recently and the two mermaids swim side by side, wondering around. The two of them were just going on a swim for the day until they discovered this.

As they observed the whole area, the two mermaid swim to the surface and glanced at the dead bodies in pity.

"Seems like these guys wasn't lucky enough to survive the storm," Rangiku poked the nearest floating body to make sure he was dead.

"Stop poking them, Rangiku-San. Have a little respect for the dead," Momo chided when she saw her friend poking every corpse they swam by.

"I'm just making sure, in case they come back from the dead and surprise us," Rangiku smiled sheepishly.

Momo shook her head and turned around, wanting to explore more, "Let's look around to see what we could find something interesting..."

"Sure. But don't wander too far, Momo. You seem to have a knack of doing that,"

"I'll try not to this time." Momo said before they explore the area separately.

Absentmindedly, Momo swim around and saw a faint trail of blood a few feet from her. Curiosity caught her interest, she decided to follow it. Once Momo was near enough, she saw a figure hunched over a broken plank, he had his back at her. The man appear to have a wound on the abdomen as he laid his head on the floating plank, clearly on the verge on dying it seems. He have his broad muscle back and a head of unique snowy white hair she never seen before throughout her days at sea. With a pique of interest, she decided to swim closer and take a look on this particular man.

Toshiro was exhausted and battered, his hair was bend down with water on the top of his hair. Is he going to die here? Toshiro heard a splash as he bolted his head up and a figure of a woman appeared before him. A siren, he concluded. He was alerted and plucked out a sharp pointing dirk from his drenched coat, readying for an attack from the creature. There she was, the most beautiful woman, or siren to be correct, he ever met. Raven brown hair framing her exquisite face, bright honey orbs shining like stars, a smile brighter than the sun, wet strands sticking to her porcelain skin and drops of water flowed down her neck, collarbone, onto the swell of her breast.

"Like what you see?" She giggled, he snapped out of his mind and closed his gaping mouth.

Toshiro cursed mentally at his thoughts and spoke as stoically as possible. "Get away, siren. I wouldn't hesitate to cut your fin." He threatened with the long thrusting dagger, reflected the sunlight on the edge and was in good shape of his days polishing. The small weapon appear to be delicate as it was dangerous, in addition with his years of experience handling it, killing people was a piece of cake. For him throughout his years at sea, the people who tend to underestimate his ability of using the dirk when his cutlass were out of his hand, were only to end up dead.

The mermaid didn't flinched by his words or weapon, but swam around him as she observed him like a masterpiece of her own. His cold hard gaze never wavered and his shoulder tensed when she approach.

"You're much more handsome than any other sailors I've seen before," She commented out loud.

Toshiro didn't know to be irked or flustered to the mermaid's bold comment so he settled on a scowl with his ears turned red, that Momo sharp eyes detected.

"What do you want, siren?" He barked.

Momo decided not to embarrass the man and pointed at his bleeding wound in the water, "You're hurt,"

"No shit, I just left a trail of blood if you didn't notice," He deadpanned, with his crass language like any other sailor Momo encounter.

"Oh, I noticed, so I swim here and saw you, need any help? I can offer you my assistance," Momo suggested.

"Help getting drown? No."

"I want to help you, not kill you, sailor,"

He scoffed, "That's a first, 'a siren not drowning a sailor',"

Momo knew all the rumours of 'sirens luring sailors to sea and drown them to their own pleasure', she heard it before. But she isn't the one to that kind of irresponsible thing and as well as her friends too. They were two kinds of them and she wasn't part of the killing team. "Well... it's kinda complicated. However, I'm not like the ones who drown sailors for fun. I'm different,"

"I don't trust you," He refused to acknowledge that she was different. Maybe she was trying to fake it, he calculated with his guard up.

She swim towards him and reassured, "I'm not going to drown you, sailor. That's silly and unproductive. I'm here to help you. I won't hurt you, I promise,"

"Tell that to the other sailors who had been drown by your kind,"

"You can trust me,"

"Why should I trust a siren's word?" He stubbornly persists.

She sighed exasperatedly, "I'm serious. I'm here to help you, if you don't leave here in time there's bound to be sharks or something else to prey on you. And it's not going to be pretty,"

Before he could replied, another orange haired mermaid appeared and hugged the smaller mermaid to her humongous chest. Great, another siren. Just what he need.

"Momo! I thought I lost you! Can't you at least tell me when you go? Seriously, girl. And who is that guy looking at us weirdly? A weirdo?" Rangiku pointed her finger at the man like he was an abnormal being as he twitches his eyebrows in annoyance.

"He's a wounded sailor and he need help, I came here following the trail of his blood and saw him floating around here,"

"Sharks bound to be here if there's blood," Rangiku pulled the petite mermaid's arm,"welp that's not our problem anymore. Come on, Momo. Let's get back,"

Momo stopped her friend, "But Rangiku-San I want to help him,"

"Momo, you want to help a sailor? We don't even know him. Plus, he might be one of those guys who captured us for their own benefits if we're not careful enough,"

"I can tell from his eyes he's not one of them, please let's give him a hand,"

The two mermaid friends discussed in front of him as they purposely ignored Toushiro before he interrupted them.

Toshiro clear his throat, "Who the hell are you two?"

"We're best friends for life. Rangiku Matsumoto and Momo Hinamori at your service." She did a mock curtesy in the water and gesture her friend beside her. "My friend here, Momo, wanted to help you but you're being difficult to get things done. Can't you be a little more corporative?"

He only grunted in reply as Rangiku smile dropped by his rude gesture.

"Fine, you grumpy man. Why don't we get to know each other first, we gave you our names already. So what's your name, sailor?" Rangiku asked friendly, trying to hold back her anger.

An awkward silence form between them as they await him to answer. Abruptly, he turned his back around and paddled away from them. No way in hell that he was going to be amicable with sirens who could kill him in a blink.

He heard obnoxious screaming of Rangiku and pinched the bridge of his nose when they appeared before him again. Toushiro scowled.

"For Fuck sake, what do you two want?"

"I want you to apologise for your impoliteness to us ladies! You mongrel!" Rangiku exclaimed and crossed her arms around her chest while Momo laughed nervously, trying to calm her friend.

Toshiro lifted a brow, "You're kidding me?"

"I'm not up for jokes!"

He stare blankly to her, giving the intention that he wasn't going to apologise.

"I can't believe my friend try to save your sorry behind and all you do is being rude!" Rangiku exclaimed with her hands flared up in frustration.

"You're a siren. How can I tell that you're not going to drown me in a minute?" He retorted back.

Rangiku narrowed her eyes dangerously, "Oh, I'm going to really drown you in a minute alright, if you don't apologise right now!"

"I could be eaten by sharks by now,"

"I don't care, I want an apology before you die, I can make the sharks wait,"

Looks like he was out of option, there's two of them and would probably lose if he chose to fight them with his wounded lone self. Either way he's going to die, just the way what he prefer to die was the only option. By sirens, dehydration or sharks. How lucky of him. Maybe he should commit suicide, he did have the dirk.

"I'm waiting, sailor. We don't have all day," Rangiku's voice interrupt his conflicted mind of deciding how his death should be.

He rolled his eyes at the siren's stubbornness and relented, he said boringly, "Fine. I'm sorry,"

She smiled in triumph, "Good. Now that wasn't so bad, doesn't it? Your name, sailor?"

"Toushiro Hitsugaya," He huffed,

"Glad we're to be acquaintance, Toushiro," Momo smiled and he numbly nodded at the two unusual friendly sirens. The brunette wasn't so bad to be with.

"So... how are you two going to help me anyway?" He placed his chin on his hand and asked.

"Simple. Momo here could guided you through the water while I'll swim ahead to find you a ship to help you. It might take a while to find a ship around here after the storm so don't go dying on me before I find one," Rangiku explained to him simply.

"I wouldn't had any other way."

* * *

It was already dusk when his last strength to paddle faded as he flopped half of his body onto the plank tiredly. He can feel that he reached his limits. This isn't going well for him. He felt light headed and his eyes were blurry when Momo cupped his face worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

Not bothering their face were inches apart, his voice raspy, "Yeah, just a little tired..."

Her eyes softened in sympathy, "You need to stay awake, Toushiro. You can't give up, the night will be more dangerous than the daylight,"

"I know." He replied gruffly, his throat hoarse from dehydration.

"Please stay strong a little longer, Toushiro. We'll help you get to safety," Momo encouraged and tow the plank for him as he glanced at her back gratefully.

To his dismay of many attempts on struggling to stay awake, Toushiro eventually fallen into unconsciousness. Not before he heard a concerned feminine voice called out for him when his vision turned dark.

He felt himself drowning into the sea but a pair of lips breathed him back to life. Toshiro eyes groggily opened when the sunlight blinded him, he adjusted his eyesight and looked around the room. It was his room inside the ship. He was saved.

"Ya awake, Captain?" He turned to the source of the voice and saw the quartermaster of his crew, Gin Ichimaru, stood beside his bed. Toshiro flinched when he sat up suddenly, temporary forgetting he was wounded. Gin came to his aid and urged him not to strain his body further more as he help Toshiro leaned his back against the headboard. His voice hoarse when he try to speak and ended up in coughing fit. He drank the water Gin offered, quenching his thirst and soothing his sore throat.

He touched the bandages on his abdomen wrapped up expertly and saw an IV attached to his arm.

"Ya feeling alright now, Captain?"

He nodded and clutched his head, his vision were still adjusting to the light, "Ugh...How did I get here?"

"Ya lucky we saw ye when we heard something knocked onto the ship. Ya were drifting on a plank out cold, we quickly pulled ya up and treated ya wounds. Ya lost too much blood and nearly gone to haven, Captain. Fortunately, Ishida and Hanatarou were here to treat ya. That gave us a fright, ya know."

Toshiro closed his eyes, his head leaned back,"How long was I out?"

"Approximately a week, Captain. Ya dehydrated and suffered blood loss, we patched ya up,"

"Did you saw something else when you spotted me?" He inquired expectingly as his mind wandered off to the two mermais who helped him, they really kept to their word on helping him.

"No, it's dark out when we pulled ya up to ship and we didn't spot anything peculiar..." Gin tilted his head in confusion when Toshiro's shoulder sagged, "Is there something wrong, Captain?"

"Nothing, forget I ask." He leaned his back against the headboard and glanced over to Gin with his serious face. "What's the status of our ship?"

Gin straightened his posture and report to his captain, "It suffered a bit damage but it's not something unfixable, so ya rest assured. We lost a couple of men in the battle with the pirates but we managed to fend the ship. Goods were undamaged, is in fine clean condition and nothing is amiss after we counted the list of merchandise,"

Toshiro hummed in approval. "Number of casualties?"

"Six death, nine wounded, and ten in good condition to work,"

"Did you prepare the farewell for the six men?"

"Not without ya. They might want to see you send them off for the last time, seeing that our Captain was saved will let them rest peacefully,"

"Hn. Give orders that everyone are in need to be on deck for the proper send off. We'll do it right away,"

"Aye, aye, Captain. "

"Glad I didn't die, or else you're going to prepare another funeral and take over my place," He joked.

"Ay, it'll be very troublesome. They're a bunch of meddlesome idiots and I for one do not want to be in ya shoes, it's nasty," Gin snorted,

He chuckled, "Don't you want a promotion? It's tempting,"

"I'm fine the way I am, Captain. I rather be the stay at my rank than being a captain to control those stubborn lads,"

"Speaking of which, where are those idiots? I bet they can't sit still until they know I'm fine,"

"Ya guess right, Captain. They're just outside ya door. Do ya wish to open it for them to come in?" Gin smirked knowingly and walk to the door, a hand on the doorknob.

"It's better than not to. Just open it and let the idiots in,"

"Aye, Captain."

Opening the door, his crewmen burst into the room with their questions concerning his health. Answering them one by one, Toshiro reassured his crew and praise them for their bravery and teamwork in his absence. It was unusual for them to get a praise from their stoic captain all the time so they glopped their captain in a hug as a reply. Then they set a small boat to sea with the personal things of their fallen comrades, setting it on fire to burn and let the wind carried the ashes of their spirit through the wide ocean. Their bodies were buried when they reached the homeland of each deceased.

* * *

It's been a long month on the ship and Toushiro couldn't help but sighed in relief when they finally reached land. Having enough sea for the day, they reached their final destination safely and delivered the ordered goods to the local merchants. After finishing their job, he ordered his crew off to rest their bodies and generously rewarded them for their hard work. They cheered happily and set off to relaxation in the tavern, they invited him to join but he declined. Choosing to let himself be at peace alone and thinking ways of recruiting new members for his crew. The windy breeze blew to his face as Toshiro walked along the port while he enjoyed silent starry night. Once he walked long enough, he sat down on the edge of a rocky cliff with the overview of the sea. He was gazing at the stars in the night sky when he heard a voice.

"Toshiro..."

Without a warning, he spun his head around the area to search for the person who call his name. He winces in pain when does that and palming the bandages on his neck, preventing the wound from reopening. He forgot about how much it hurts. Toshiro scanned his surrounding, the port streets were empty with few light lanterns lit up to see and the district he's in was fairly desolated from the main port. Not a sign of people.

"Toshiro."

He heard it again. Not the voice of a man, like his crew. But a woman's voice. A soft yet melodic voice.

"Toshiro, I'm down here. Can you hear me?"

He search his mind for recognition and come to his own answer. It was Momo. How he started to long for her voice when he woke up and found himself in his ship without her. He adjusted his gaze to the sea to find her. There he saw the said brunette waving at him near the rocky shores as he jumped down from the cliff and climbed down carefully to her side.

"Momo," Toshiro confirmed. She swim closer to the edge, half of her body on the rock.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Healing after the fight, but alive," He sat down on the edge near her.

She sighed in relief, remembering his limp unmoving body before and now here sitting on the shore, "That's good to hear. You gave me a heart attack when you slipped into the sea without a warning, you're not even breathing when I pulled you up."

"What happened then?"

"Oh, I passed some oxygen to you and managed to keep you breathing, until Rangiku spotted your crew ship and led them to you."

"Did they saw you two?"

"No, we swam away when we pushed your plank to the ship and created enough sound to alert your crew."

"That's good. I don't want them to attack the ones who saved my life. I'm alive thanks to you," He thanked her sincerely.

"You're welcome, Toushiro." She smiled warmly.

"How did you find me? Did you follow my ship just to see me?"

She admitted truthfully, "Yeah. I was worried about you when I didn't see you after you were saved. Then for some time I smelled your blood mixed with the others when your ship was attack, I assumed you didn't make it. Until I saw you fighting again."

"I was on bed rest at first, but then the Hollow's raided so I helped out, that's all."

She felt a little concern about his body. "Aren't you in no condition to fight? You just added much more injuries onto your body,"

He chuckled dryly, "It's fine. Glad my arm is still attached from that heavy blade cut from Zabuza, the captain of the Hollow,"

She glanced at the white bandages that wasn't concealed by his clothes.

"Can I see it?"

Toushiro hesitated at first, but he complied to her request, seeing that she was the one who saved his life. "As long as you don't give me a reason to hurt you, I won't mind,"

"I promise," Momo firmly said, he edged closer near the water while she smiled a little of his trust on her. She lifted her upper body forward and leaned towards him to examine his covered wounds. She traced her cold delicate fingers on the side of his bandaged forehead down to his collarbone.

"How many do you have?" She asked, her eyes glanced over his bandages.

"Four... I think... Head, neck, shoulder and arm, that's all I guess..." He replied while he try his best to divert his gaze away from her chest, her twins were really distracting.

"Doesn't it hurt much?" Her fingers lingered on his bandaged neck, glancing up to him.

He replied simply with a smirk, "Well... that's the consequences of delivering valuable treasures throughout the sea. It's an occupational hazard that I've gotten use to,"

She didn't find it funny when his life was at risked, then she abruptly lifted his shirt up and saw the heavy bandages around his body. Toshiro was surprised when she figured out how wounded he is in. He had to admit, she really was perspective.

Momo narrowed her keen eyes at him and questioned him, a hand on her hip and the other holding his shirt to examine his injuries, "You said four. But how come your whole upper body was covered in bandages?"

He scratched his head nervously, caught red handed like a kid, being chided by his mother of his own misdoings, "It's nothing big, just a scratch,"

"You and I know, this isn't a small scratch to begin with," She frowned.

He shrugged it off casually and pulled his shirt down, "I'm not a captain for nothing if I couldn't handle this kind of hardships,"

"You could've been killed," Her frowned deepened and her arms crossed around her chest.

"But I didn't," He remarked smartly.

She mumbled disapprovingly with a pout on her lips, "You should be more careful, not to be risky,"

"Blame the pirates who kept fucking raiding the ship, it's freaking annoying." He stated reasonably.

She shook her head in disbelief at his actions, not minding his crass language and then plopped back into the water. Noticing her frown still etched on her beautiful face, Toushiro console her.

"Hey, it's not a big deal with this. I'll heal in no time, trust me,"

"Then you'll go through fights again and get wounded again, isn't it the same routine?"

"Then I'll try not go through the same routine,"

She let out a small smile,"You better,"

"Hn," He like it better when a smile was carved on her face, he smile inwardly.

Momo then thought of an idea, "Oh! I got something for you, wait here."

She dived into the water to she retrieved something. He looked over the water curiously and was surprised when she popped out of the water. Her scent filed his nose when she leaned close to him and felt something wet on his neck.

"Huh?" He glanced down and saw a necklace hanging on his neck. A simple thin black rope attached with a rare gem.

"It's a lucky charm. I got it from an old ship wrecked yard in the bottom of the sea. A lapiz lazuli that was said to offer healing and protection. I heard that if you confess your hopes to the person you're giving it to, then it will protect them. For you to sail without mishap and with good fortune, that's what I wish for," She said genuinely and it made him felt cherished for the first time.

"I'll treasure it," He clutched onto the stone and quirked the side of his lips.

"I'm glad." Momo beamed warmly, then she leaned over and placed quick kiss on his lips, "I'll see you on the next port then, Toshiro."

She pulled away from him and gave him a bright smile before she dived back into the water, swimming away. Toshiro remained stone for an hour in the same place, same spot. As he kept rewinding the kiss inside his mind whilst he wondered if he should've kiss back or he should take the initiative to kiss her the next time they meet. Now he can't wait for the next port.

* * *

 **So there you have it, folks! Give me your thoughts on whether I should make a sequel or you have any other ideas to share and I would gladly take note to it~ Thank you!**


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